Message Board - Tampico Area Historical Society, Tampico, Illinois

Message Board > CEMETERIES - (Prophetstown)

CEMETERIES - (Prophetstown)
The Tampico Area Historical Society encompasses parts of Whiteside County and Bureau County in Illinois. Focus is on Tampico, Hume Twp., Hahnaman/Deer Grove, & Prophetstown in Whiteside County & Yorktown & Thomas in Bureau County.

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V.Ott 1 post Mar 16, 2005 1:38 PM	I have been told my Great-Great granparents John and Betsey(Elizabeth)Havens McKenzie are buried in Prophetstown cemtery.I know there is a township Prophetstown as well as the town. can you tell me which it would be ?
Janet39 1 post Sep 28, 2005 8:18 PM	To V.Ott, I don't have an answer to your question about John & Betsy McKenzie, but I do know that an L.B. McKenzie owned the farm that we live on. I don't know how many years they owned it, but according to an 1893 plat map that I have, they owned it then. I also know that there are many little cemeteries around Prophetstown. Do you think that you have any connection to this L.B. McKenzie? The farm is located on Washington Road about 4 and 1/2 miles SW of Prophetstown. There is a small cemetery called Minson or locally known as the Washington Street Cemetery, about 3 miles SW of Prophetstown on the corner of Washington Road and Cooper Road. If you want me to do any further looking for you, please let me know. Janet
Janet39 7 posts Oct 15, 2005 6:28 PM	V.Ott, Have you found your John & Betsey McKenzie yet? I see a C. McKenzie as a lot owner in the old original section of the Leon Cemetery, lot #25, all spaces, and a Virgil McKenzie as the owner of lot #5, all spaces in the old original section. In the burial section of my book, I see a Karson McKenzie on lot #25, grave space A6, 1877. I go to the church by this cemetery, so if either of these names sound familiar to you, I could look up the sites and see if there are stones there. The names listed in my book for the Riverside Cemetery in Prophetstown are: Alice McKenzie, Betsy McKenzie, Dallas McKenzie, DeLafayette McKenzie, Edda M. McKenzie, Fay McKenzie, Hariett Martin McKenzie, Lucia Brewer McKenzie, Mabel McKenzie, Marie T. Sholtz McKenzie, Marion Havens McKenzie, Marlow C. McKenzie, Mary H. McKenzie, May McKenzie, Minnie Dudley McKenzie, Nathan L. McKenzie, William McKenzie, & William R. McKenzie. I don't find a John listed there. I don't live far from this cemetery, so could walk out to the Betsy and see if there is a stone with more information on it. She is in lot #27 A, space 6. John and wife Margarett S. McKenzie are found in Hollinshead Cemetery in Ustick twp. of Whiteside Co. John died Sept. 29, 1854 at 54 years of age. Wife Margarett S., wife of John--1811-1895. Also, in this book, it gives Karson K. McKenzie, son of C.B. & Mayme, died Oct. 12, 1877 at 6 years of age and buried in the Leon Cemetery. In the same book, I find a Frank M. McKenzie, son of J.A. J.D.C. McKenzie, died Oct. 10, 1820 and buried in the Heaton Cemetery in Mount Pleasant twp. of Whiteside Co. In another book that I have for Prophetstown listings, there is the following information: Fayette H. McKenzie, 1884-1954, Marie T. Stoltz, his wife--1885-1944. Delafayette McKenzie--1827-1875. Lucia-1825-1906. Nathan L. McKenzie--1853-1947. Minnie D. McKenzie--1858-1942. William McKenzie--died Aug. 8, 1883, age 39 years, 3 mo., 4 days. Dallas McKenzie--died Aug. 29, 1847, age 1 year, 9 mo., 1 day, son of Wm. & H. William McKenzie--died Feb. 14, 1889, age 74 years. Harriet Martin McKenzie, his wife, died June 1, 1910, age 88 years. Mac McKenzie--Aug. 6, 1823-May 20, 1907. Marion M. Havens, his wife, Aug. 2, 1824-April 25, 1897. M. May McKenzie, died Feb. 22, 1882, 18 years, 4 mo., 19 days. Marlow McKenzie--on marker, but no dates. In a book listing the Tampico Cemetery, I find: Chancey D. McKenzie--1839-1915. Mary A. McKenzie-1843-? Ella L. Field McKenzie--1863-1939. Imogene L. McKenzie, wife of Martin G. Love--Jan. 27, 1854-Aug. 24, 1917. Elizabeth McKenzie--1882-1948. Ralph McKenzie--1876-1958. Artice Ilene McKenzie--Aug. 4, 1922-Jan. 14, 1923. H. Ferne McKenzie (Gillette)--1890-1966. Lovina E. McKenzie--1859-1933. Raymond H. McKenzie--1854-1927. Clyde E. McKenzie--1892-1941. Ray Earl McKenzie--1885-1958. Margaret McKenzie--1882-1980. Dana McKenzie Kelly--June 7, 1947. George L. McKenzie--1867-1926. Ivy E. McKenzie--1881-1965. That's all I can find in my Whiteside Co. listings. If any of these sound familiar to you, we can do a more in depth search. Janet
Anne Winters 1 post Mar 23, 2009 11:12 PM	Cemetery Records Yorktown, Bureau, IL, Sent by Ruth Meeks Hall, 1985. "John McKenzie Aug 6 1794-July 3 1857 Betsy (Havens) Feb 9 1796 - March 5 1854 Married Feb 23, 1815 John M. McKenzie Feb 8 1867 44y 3m 17d Emeline McKenzie Dec. 27, 1879 58y 9m 15 d Married June 6 1849." This cemetery is at the north edge of town, north of Christian Church and the info from cemetery records. Tampico 1875-1975 Historical Record, McKenzie Family History Tampico, IL, Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Incorporation of Village of Tampico. "p. 84 John McKenzie the father of Oliver, participated in the battle of Plattsburg. He was born Aug. 6, 1794 and died here July 3, 1857. He (John McKenzie was married Feb. 23, 1815 to Betsy Havens and reared a family of 9 children: Hiram, Eliza, John M. , Oliver W., DeLaFayette, Lyman, Lomera , Robert and Chaney (sic) D. McKenzie.
Denise 415 posts Mar 29, 2009 8:32 AM	Thank You, Anne!, I had forgotten about this message. Thank you for taking the time to respond. Denise
Administrator Denise 690 posts Apr 28, 2009 8:57 AM	I received the following email and will post anonymously: I saw on your message board that the burial location for John and Betsy Havens McKenzie has been determined to be the Yorktown Cemetery. This leaves me with several questions: Where in the cemetery records does it mention them ? Is there anyone who can actually point to their headstones or markers ? True, headstones can be stolen or destroyed, but would a family as prosperous and prominent as the McKenzies not have had them replaced? I realize there are those who believe they may be buried in Prophetstown, but would a pioneer family of pre Civil War days have been buried so far from their homeplace considering conditions of the time? My conclusion is that this War of 1812 veteran and Yorktown founder, who died in 1857, and his wife Betsy (1854) are still here on the farm. Family burial was common practice during that era as was the practice of later owners to erase any signs of such. *end of email** Any thoughts? ---------- Denise Family History Coordinator Tampico Area Historical Society
connie2222 6 posts Feb 28, 2012 10:00 AM	Has anyone ever found John and Betsy? I agree with you Denise, I think they were buried on the farm along with John's second wife, Ann. The Hinton's, who live on the old farm told me there were 3 traces of stones and in the abstract for the farm there was a petition for dower from Ann L. (wife of John) and she was granted use of a piece his land. "Court finds that petitioner is the widow of John McKenzie." Sure would like to find out who she was. They had to get married sometime between when Betsy died(1854) and when John died (1857) Anybody know who she was??
Denise 830 posts Mar 05, 2012 7:11 AM	Hi Connie,I don't know if anything has been proven. The sentiments above were sent to me in an email. It's been a while, but if memory serves, I think it was from Richard. I haven't pursued this, but hopefully a descendant of the family may make it their mission. :?) I have done some random searches at various locations, but nothing developed. If I do find something, I will certainly post it and hope others will do the same!
connie2222 7 posts Mar 08, 2012 10:11 AM	It seem reasonable that they would be buried on the farm. I am going to keep working on trying to find Ann L. Must be a record somewhere. I don't think they ran off to Las Vegas and got married.
Denise 836 posts Mar 08, 2012 9:17 PM	No answers, but some interesting history from the Sterling Standard, Dec. 6, 1877 HOMESTEAD WAS PURCHASED FROM THE GOVERNMENT Pioneers of the Vicinity of Yorktown Recall Some of Early History Two of the pioneer residents of Yorktown. Mr.and Mrs. A. A. Shere have lived in that community for many years. Mr. Shere was born on the old Shere homestead near Yorktown in 1859 and lived there for a period of 58 years. At the death of his father Mr. Shere became the owner of the old homestead, which is now occupied by his son, Jess Shere and family. The father of Mr. Shere, John Ellis Shere, descendant of an aristocratic English family, arrived in the vicinity of Yorktown in 1854. he cut logs on government land, hauled them to Erie where they were sawed into lumber and then built a house on an 80 acre tract of land bought from the government. Mr. Shere well remembers when he was a small boy, that his family made trips at times to Sterling to trade. They milked 20 cows and churned butter which was taken to Sterling and in trade received the sum of five cents a pound. One dollar at the time bought eight pounds of sugar. Not many families in the early days ate pie and cake every meal. Three buildings still remain standing in Yorktown which were built in the fifties. They are part of the Brooks store, the old Jack Miles house and the old hotel. "Things have changed in the last 20 years," says Mr. Shere. "We now have comfortable homes in Yorktown, a passable steam road, an electric highline and last but not least a splendid hard road. Some difference from now and 70 years ago when it took 24 hours to go to Sterling and back with an ox team. We step into our cars today and make the trip in two hours on the hard road." The pioneer couple of Yorktown recall from their family history that John and Betsy McKenzie arrived in Yorktown in 1847 with their sons, Hiram, John, Oliver, Robert and Chancie. All five brothers owned farms adjoining near Yorktown. Oliver was the first man to own a store in Yorktown in 1850. Six years later the first building was erected and occupied as a hotel by John McKenzie. It was later turned into a dwelling and stands on the corner known as the J. Irvin property. About 1850 Whicher Dow and R. Dow settled in and near Yorktown, they being two of the early residents. The first postoffice was kept by Steve Dow. Last Edited by on Mar 08, 2012 9:23 PM

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